In The After of Blackfriars
by Issi Herondale
Summary: A one-shot about what might happened after Tessa and Jem met at Blackfriars in 2008
1. In the After

**I hope you enjoy!**

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It is said that time can heal all wounds. Big, or small, we are told that we will eventually forget the pain. Whoever said that was wrong. They most certainly were not faced with immorality. It is so easy to say that time can heal thing when you have so little time yourself. You are forced to move on. You are forced to act as if the pain were a passing whim.

I could not forget. I watched all those I ever loved, save Jem, die. While I remained young and untouched they grew old and weak. No mother should ever be subjected to outlive her children as I was. Magnus told me that the first death is the hardest, but how could Magnus know? I carried my children with in me, I raised them with the man I loved, and I watched as everything I held dear crumbled to the ground.

Each day I would wake up and my body would search for the warmth of Will. And each morning I would relive the heartbreak when the memories of his death came rushing back. I lived an unimaginably boring and sad life after he died.

Over the years I kept track of my children's children. As a girl looking to her future I had never dreamed that I would see as many generations as I had. Although they never knew it, they always had me watching over them. They never knew that I was alive. I was like a ghost that they couldn't see or hear, but I could see and hear them. As it turned out, I couldn't do them as much good as I had previously thought.

When Valentine lead his uprising I could not intervene. I watched helplessly as he destroyed the lives of those I had sworn to protect. Such destruction could not be so much as imagined. I remember when Stephen Herondale died. I had been quit upset and grieved. He was one of my last grandchildren. The only hope for the Herondales was the child that his wife, Celiné, carried. The news of her suicide destroyed me. What had become of the family Will and I created together?

I suddenly found myself to be the last Herondale. It was never meant to be that way. I was supposed to be able to watch my family continue on, no matter how it pained me. The cycle of birth, life, and death was broken. I no longer had any remaining family. It sent me into a deep despair. If I could no longer be the guardian of my grandchildren then what was my purpose?

I truly contemplated not going to meet Jem that day, but something deep within me told me that I had to. So I did, even if it had been going against my heart. The fifteen years after the death of Celiné had been difficult on me, although I did not publicly express it. The only person who knew was Magnus. He was always there when Jem's loyalties to the Brotherhood prevented him from comforting me. As I stood on the bridge in Jem's arms I was told something that would both relieve my familial woes, as well as make me question them.

"Celiné's child lives," Jem whispered into my ear.

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"Tessa, you can't just go barging into the Institute and demand to see him," Jem tells me.

"I am a Shadowhunter, they can't turn me away," I say, shoving the remainder of my clothes into my suitcase.

"Tessa," Jem sighs.

"He is my grandson, Jem. For the past fifteen years I have grieved over a child I thought to be dead. I owe it to Will to protect him," I explain.

"You have spent the last hundred and thirty years caring for the Herondale family, Tessa," Jem groans," You can't act as if you've done nothing for them."

"Magnus said he even resembles Will in his mannerisms," I say.

"I don't care if he were an exact copy of Will, Tessa, you can't interrupt the boys life."

"There is nothing you can do or say to stop me," I state, glancing around the room, checking to make sure that I have everything I want.

Seeing that I have everything, I pick up my suitcase. Jem moves to block the doorway. I try to push past him, but he remains still. I let out a frustrated sigh.

"Jem, will you please move out of my way?" I ask.

"I will, but only on one condition," he tells me.

"Okay," I say," What is it?"

"I get to come with you."

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**Well, I've never written a one-shot before, so I have no idea what to say... Please review and tell me if you like it! I might start taking requests for one-shots of you guys like it!**

**~Lillie**


	2. Note

So I didn't really intend for this to be a story when I posted it... And now I'm feeling really bad. Maybe this one-shot could turn into a series of one-shots? Would that be better than having it be a stand alone chapter? I'd be willing to take suggestions.

It's funny cause in the beginning when I wrote this (way back in August) this was going to be a story, but instead I scraped the project and wrote my other story (City of Time) instead, which was inspired from this. Both Tessa and Jem are in there, and it does take place after this one-shot, so you kind of see what happened after this.

Anyways, just tell me what you think!

~Lillie


	3. Note Two

Hey!

Well I've officially decided to continue this through a series of one-shots. So start requesting what you want to see next! If you can dream it I can write it!

Also as a side note, if you happen to be following City of Time please know that I started writing the new chapter yesterday! I think you're really going to like it!

So follow if you want to read more of what's to come and review if you have something you want me to write!

P.S. You can follow me on Tumblr at Issi Herondale where I also post my Fanfictions and my other creative things.

Remember to review about what you want to see next!

~Lillie


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